Reproducing authentic vintage children’s wear, Blu Pony Vintage transforms something simple into something special. The new clothing collection is spare and easy to wear, yet special enough to cherish and hand down for generations.

Blu Pony Vintage owner Bonnie Mathews knows a thing or two about having a vision and seeing it through to its creation. Between the ages of 6 and 11 she helped her family build a three-story log cabin home in the Pacific Northwest. According to Matthews, “that house was such a sense of pure pride for me… Everything I do is reflective of that time in my life I spent peeling logs as a kid. Hard work and lots of heart.”

Matthews has certainly put her heart into the design of Blu Pony Vintage, her collection for girls and boys sizes 2-6. The tight line of relaxed, easy pieces is not flashy or fussy.  Yet the clothing stands out for its simplicity. Matthews’ background in theater and fashion photography are clear influences in the line, which made its debut at this month’s Children’s Club show with both Summer 2010 and Fall/Early Winter 2010 collections.

Inspired by her hobby of collecting vintage Americana kids clothing, Blu Pony Vintage offers the look and feel of the 1920s and ‘30s. Matthews even names each piece after a notable from the past. There are dresses bearing the names of Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston, blues singer Bessie Smith, actress Greta Garbo, and there is a blouse named for aviation icon Amelia Earhart. For boys, there is the Albert Einstein white stripe denim jumpsuit, dobby striped pants named after Louis Armstrong, a shirt named after pianist and big band leader Duke Ellington, a sweater named for Nobel laureate chemist Irving Langmuir, and there are organic cotton t-shirts bearing the names of Olympian Jessie Owens and Alexander Fleming, the biologist who discovered penicillin.

But it’s more than just the style names that pay homage to the past. Every pleat, ruffle, stitch and fabric Matthews uses is a tribute to the simpler times of the past. Noting synthetic fabrics didn’t exist in the 1920s and ‘30s, Matthews says she is committed to using natural cotton, silks and wool. The worn-in feel is key to the appeal of Blu Pony Vintage, so Matthews has taken care to work with a local facility that leads the way in chemical free washing. She says even the hangtags on the collection are eco-friendly. A concern for its carbon footprint has led Blu Pony Vintage to keep it local. As a result Mathews says the company has the ability for a quick turn-around on orders.

That will likely come in handy as Blu Pony’s show debut was met with much enthusiasm. Eggy in California, Erica Tanov in New York and Kidlet in Connecticut are among the first retailers to feature the line.

Blu Pony Vintage is based in South Pasedena, CA, and it manufactures in Los Angeles. The suggested retail price ranges from $74 to $129 for the summer collection and ranges from $36 to $224 for the fall/early winter collection, which includes sweaters and coats.